﻿I am beginning to find my footing again. Separating the dayjob tasks in another physical space that is fully away from the studio seems the most promising solution so far. The studio now feels less violated and tainted. Also the recent minimalist decluttering helped a lot. It will all be put to the test in October when an ongoing dayjob project gets intense into fieldwork and analysis. But my hopes are strong.

I scheduled a dayjob admin work time in the shared office space for tomorrow ($2.50/hour). I have become conscious about not letting the demands of the dayjob, no matter how small, spill into my creating spaces.

With the dayjob set into its own time and place, I was able to use today to sit down in the studio without the niggling feeling of should-be-doing-something-else and plan fully for what I can do for the art shops and my art.

I checked my inventory of materials -- I have 179 potential pieces waiting in blank paper and canvas.

I made an idea pool of what I can do and what I can try. Not just for the pieces but also for creating awareness and interest, for finding new audiences, buyers, supporters.

What I am having a bit of difficulty now is actually starting a new piece. I've spent the past few days reworking and repainting old pieces. The thread was broken when I shut down the art-making many weeks ago. I cannot seem to find ​the vein of new roots, only the old ones.

Still, it's not a bad restart. And there's a bit of money coming in from the dayjob which should momentarily relieve the invisible pressure on my shoulders. I will likely need one or two more dayjob projects to carry me through to the first quarter of next year BUT I am also hoping that I can make up the extra with ART WORK. Especially now that the art studio is literally getting its own space and official calendar spots. From now on I am going to speak of my art as REAL WORK. It will have as much claim on my time and my energy as the dayjob. And in return it WILL earn for its own survival. It has to. There is no other way to live.